MSc by Research Studentship: The WATCH Project: Wearable Accelerometer Technology for Children’s Health

*This scholarship is part funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys.*

MSc by Research for UK or EU applicants in the field of: Sport and Exercise Science

Subject study: The WATCH Project: Wearable Accelerometer Technology for Children’s Health

Brief summary of project:

Physical activity (PA) is associated with physiological and psycho-social health benefits but ~33% of children are not sufficiently active. Fundamental to such conclusions is the accurate and reliable measurement of habitual PA. However, poor adherence to wearing monitors and/or a novelty effect, resulting in atypical PA patterns, confound previous studies. This study aims to develop a low power and cost, ubiquitous, wrist-worn device with embedded microcontroller and wireless communication modules incorporated within a fashionable watch that automatically syncs with a cloud-based hub, reducing participant burden and thus improving adherence and data quality. The aim is to produce a device which participants choose to wear constantly for a long time, thereby enabling the first longitudinal and ecologically valid insight into true PA levels. We propose 6 phases: 1) Investigation of suitable hardware and software components; 2) device design/development; 3) device evaluation through user-groups; 4) device refinement; 5) data processing algorithm development for remote analysis and 6) production of a final device for feasibility and efficacy testing.

Eligibility

Candidates should have a 2.1 or above in their undergraduate degree or a related subject.

Please visit our web page for more information on eligibility criteria: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/sports-exercise-science-msc-research-wearable-accelerometer-tech.php

Additional Funding Information

The studentship covers the full cost of UK/EU tuition fees, plus a stipend. The bursary will be limited to a maximum of £11,358 p.a. dependent upon the applicant’s financial circumstances.